Centrair to delay new terminal plan

NAGOYA – Central Japan International Airport Co. said Thursday it will postpone its plan to complete a new passenger terminal and a parking lot in the second half of 2014 because AirAsia Japan has pulled out of the international gateway serving the Nagoya area.

The operator of the airport, also known as Centrair, is planning to gauge travel demand and see moves by airlines, including a possible inauguration of flights by Vanilla Air, an ANA Holdings Inc. unit taking over AirAsia operations. AirAsia withdrew from Centrair after operating there for about five months.

Centrair said it will review its plan for the terminal and parking lot and the total project cost will be reassessed from around ¥8 billion estimated earlier.

In anticipation of increases in passenger and cargo traffic from Southeast Asia, the airport said it will start later this year upgrading its aircraft refueling facilities for use from March 2015.

Hiroshi Kawakami, president of the airport operator, said his company will take a flexible approach in improving its facilities and noted an increasing number of domestic flight passengers. He said, “There is sizable demand in the Chubu region” centering around Nagoya for flights, including those operated by budget airlines.